


Clutching Life

by AllisonDiamond



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Night Terrors, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Spoilers, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-29 03:25:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14463963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllisonDiamond/pseuds/AllisonDiamond
Summary: Tony has night terrors and Stephen is there to comfort him. (Infinity War spoilers included).





	Clutching Life

Tony twisted and turned on the bed. _Pepper_ , the name lingered on his tongue. He saw Killian killing Pepper while he stood there _trapped_ like a fly to the light unable to do a damn thing. He wanted to summon his suit, to get out of his restrains, but he couldn’t and the woman he loved died before his eyes.

Pepper then vanished and he saw Rhodey falling to the ground. Tony flew up to save him but he was too late. His friend crashed to the ground, his suit getting ripped up in the process. But before Rhodey passed out, he looked up at Tony and gave him a small smile. Tony clutched onto Rhodey’s body, promising to save his friend if that was the last thing he did.

But before he could tell his friend that, Rhodey vanished into thin air, and Tony found himself in a room. And there was Obadiah Stane. Tony saw Obadiah ripping the reactor arc out from his chest. He then _said_ something to Tony but Tony was too numb, too shocked to even respond. He remained like that until Pepper and Rhodey came and rescued him. 

And just like that the scene evaporated and he _saw_ himself in the car with his parents. He watched as the Winter Solider grabbed his mom and knocked her out and then he went to his dad where he shot him. He _saw_ himself just standing there as he watched the life slipping away from them, piece by piece, little by little.

He wanted to run after the Winter Solider but his legs wouldn’t take him anywhere. So he sat there and just watched his parents’ killer escaping just like that. His parents then disappeared and he saw himself in space, holding onto Peter before he turned to dust. _I don’t want to go, Mister Stark_ , Peter told him. _I don't want to go, Mister Stark._ Tony wanted to save the kid but he couldn’t do a thing. Didn’t know what to do. So he just held him and hoped that gave him some comfort before he completely disappeared from existence.

And then…then he saw Stephen. Saw his tired face as he slowly began to fade away. _There was no other choice, Tony_ , Stephen said. Tony didn’t know what to do as he watched Stephen disappear.

Then everyone disappeared until he _was_ the last one remaining on the ship. He hugged himself and he said softly, _why wasn’t it me? Why wasn’t it me?_

Everything went to black and he felt Thanos’ invisible hand reaching down and ripping his heart out from his chest. And then he jumped up with a start.

“Tony, Tony, you’re safe. You’re here with me. Stephen remember? Whatever you are seeing, it isn’t real. It can’t hurt you.”

Tony grabbed at the sheets, breathing heavily. “ _Stephen_?” he said in a quiet voice unable to hear anything above the loud pounding of his heart against his chest.

“Yes, it’s me, Tony,” Stephen told him in a warm, calming voice as he rubbed Tony’s shoulder in a comforting gesture. “How you feeling?”

Tony rubbed his eyes and tried to catch his breath. “I’m…I’m good. Just saw some things I didn’t want to see,” he said as he willed the pain away.

Stephen gave him a small smile. “I understand,” he said and didn’t press for more, not like what Pepper did whenever he got one of his episodes when they were together.

Tony just nodded unsure of what else to do.

Stephen squeezed Tony’s shoulder gently as he slipped the sheets off of him and rose up from the bed. “I’m going to make tea. Would you like some?” 

Tony breathed a little. “You know I don’t like drinking tea, magic doctor,” Tony chided him. He laughed a little because he didn’t want to deal with his emotions right now. “I think I’d join you before you fall asleep boiling water again.”

Stephen rolled his eyes. “That was only one time, darling. And I was quite exhausted. You try keeping reality in check.”

“Nah, I’m good.” Tony got up from the bed. “But I think I’d go with you just to be sure. Can’t have that happening again. I don’t want to be scolded by Friday again for leaving my boyfriend unchecked in the kitchen. Hell, even the kid does it whenever he drops by. Don’t let me get started on Clint—”

“Remember you are the one who loves the strays.”

“Don’t I know.”

Stephen chuckled lightly and Tony joined him. _And maybe_ , he thought, _just maybe he’d be able to face his demons head-on and realize he had to stop living in the past._ It was wishful thinking but it was certainly a possibility now. At least with Stephen, the kid, hell even Rogers and the rest of the Avengers, he would finally be able to rest like he wanted. Once and for all.

**Author's Note:**

> Oh I should have put Yinsen and Harley Keener in this. And maybe Ultron and Jarvis and that Civil War stuff. But I really wanted to write something quick and short because this is the only free time I have in the next two weeks. 
> 
>    
> Come say hi on [tumblr](http://neenabthurman.tumblr.com)


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